


bonjour neighbor

by godtiercomplexfics (godtiercomplex)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Gardens & Gardening, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-02-05 19:24:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12800697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godtiercomplex/pseuds/godtiercomplexfics
Summary: Arthur just wants to grow a vegetable garden, while Francis just wants to kiss him.Things will work out eventually.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> (Looks at my fifty eleven other WIPs before posting this up...) 
> 
> Anyway, welcome to bonjour neighbor. I'm Kei and this is the 2nd time I've ever written a FrUK fic that ONLY focuses on FrUK. I've been in this fandom too long for that to be the case. 
> 
> Anyway, you can find me on [ twitter](https://twitter.com/keiimos) and [ tumblr](https://keiimos.com/)! 
> 
> Updates for this, as with all my things, will come randomly but are typically hinted at/announced on my twitter! 
> 
> Nice comments and kudos are my motivation! 
> 
> Also, there will be country OCs for well... these guys...!
> 
> OCs: Scotland (Duncan), Ireland x2 (Aileen [girl], Sean [boy]), Wales (Griffith)!

“I’m telling you, Aileen, he’s doing this on purpose.” Arthur glared outside of his shades at the asshole across the fence. “He’s wearing this stupid apron, and prancing around being weird.” His backyard wasn’t big but it was _his_ and he was still pissed at the sheer nerve, the _gall_ —

“I thought he was planting flowers?” Aileen clearly did not understand, and Arthur was despairing. That arse Bonnefoy had a sunhat with flowers along the brim. It was disgusting to look at, and yet he couldn’t look away.

What was made it even more distasteful was the fact that Bonnefoy was planting the flowers along the fence that separated his yard from Arthur’s. The same section of the yard that he had his vegetable garden growing because his sister had thought it’d calm him. All he wanted to do now was take trowel hanging in his shed and jam it right between that bastard’s too blue eyes. He turned away from the window. He should have stuck with knitting. At least then he could be working on a sweater for his cat.

Aileen had fallen silent, but then seemed to connect some dots. She never had been the brightest of them. “Wait...this isn’t the same man that baked you a cake when he moved in, is it?”

“How do you even remember that?” Arthur set to making tea, checking the time before he started the stove and then leaving the water to boil. “Yes, it is the same one. He made everyone on the street a cake. Inspired, he said, by the color of our homes.”

“Isn’t yours like the brightest pink eyesore ever?”

“The previous tenant was obviously blind and I haven’t had time to waste time asking if I can repaint, let alone actually paint if the owner says yes.” The cake had been a strawberry cheesecake and overwhelming _pink_. He was still upset at the pounds he’d gained just looking at it last month. He’d been more pissed at how good it was.

“You could just hire someone to paint for you.”

Arthur took in a deep breath, and glanced out the window. The postman was on the way up so he stepped outside to greet the elderly man. He hated making him step up the steps to put it in his box. Hire someone to come to his house and touch his things and be in his space? As if. Aileen knew that was what he hated the most and was doing one of those not so sneaky moves to get him socializing more. He saw right through her.

“Shut up,” was all he finally said after shaking off that frantic thinking.

“Gardening is working, I see.”

He ignored her for a moment to get the mail and to say, “Thank you, Bill,” as he took the handful of mail. The postman smiled at him and headed over to his neighbors as Arthur moved back to the house.

He was stepping back inside as he cheerfully said, “Fuck off, Aileen.”

Aileen sighed as his kettle whistled and said, “Nevermind, clearly not working.” He had no reply to that, so he just hung up, sliding his phone into his pocket and attending to his kettle.

It didn’t take long to make tea and settle himself firmly into his usual spot on his couch. It matched the grove in his narrow ass perfectly. After that it was a quick job to flick on his telly and settle down to watch a rerun of _My Cat From Hell_. A new episode was due to come on after it.

As if summoned by the call of fellow cats, Queen Rosaline stepped lightly onto his shoulders, claws digging into his skin as she climbed down into her spot. He didn’t move for several minutes, letting her settle properly. Only then did he dare to settle a hand near Queen Rosaline’s side. She impatiently glanced at him and he was quick to gently pet her until he heard a satisfied purr.

Arthur chalked that up to a victory, the first in a few days.

He was content to stay on his couch and gently pet the light of his life even if she was a demon from hell, but then he heard the call of his worse enemy.

The doorbell.

Queen Rosaline arched and his hand fell uselessly down as she made her escape. She hated two things: people she didn’t know and his family. The doorbell indicated it was one of those.

“Fuck,” he muttered because whoever was on the other side had pressed it again and he heard a crash. His poor cat. His poor vase? Maybe? He had just got handed some weird fake Ming vase by Sean the other day (he was getting a bit tired of his siblings handing him their unwanted belongings) so maybe that had thankfully broken?

The only good thing that anyone had ever given him was Rosaline. Well, more like he’d saved her but in either case, the only good thing in his life was that beast.

The doorbell rang again and he finally stood up. “I’m coming, I’m coming!”

That seemed to appease whoever was at the door, which meant it clearly wasn’t one of his siblings. He looked out the peephole and swore, quietly. It was Bonnefoy.

Bonnefoy and his dumb fucking hat.

Arthur cracked open the door and glared at him. “What do you want?”

“We have to save our gardens!”

Arthur blinked. Blinked again. He still didn’t understand, so he said, “What.”

Bonnefoy took off his hat, looked Arthur dead in the face from the crack and said, “I’ve brought sin into Eden.”

“What.”

“We have bugs, Mr. Kirkland!”

Arthur had the feeling it was going to be a long day as he opened his door for Bonnefoy. “Just come in.”


	2. II

 

Arthur didn’t offer Bonnefoy a seat, which was fine since the man didn’t seem to want one. Instead he was pacing in front of the muted telly, going on dramatically about women and bugs. Apparently he had planted a new variety of roses that the sweet gardening shop lady had recommended, because who was he to not accept the suggestions of a lady and a lot more stuff that Arthur just had to block out for his sanity. 

The short of it was that his neighbor had bought an infestation into his garden. And given the proximity it had to Arthur’s garden it was only a matter of times till it spread. 

Arthur just looked at Bonnefoy and laughed. 

_ Of course _ ,  _ this is just my luck!  _ Arthur had his face buried in his hands while his body shook with laughter. This was lovely. Aileen would have field day with this when he told her. His peaceful house, his garden, the knitting, all of it wasn’t enough to keep stressors away! Like this… Bonnefoy, standing there with his stupid hat and his tales of bugs and women. It was just his luck. Of course it was. 

“Are you quite alright, Mr. Kirkland?” 

Arthur couldn’t even look at Bonnefoy as he fought to get his laughter back under control. What startled him out of it was a soft  _ oh!  _ and a softer, familiar  _ meow  _ that usually greeted him each morning. Arthur looked over the tips of his fingers to find Bonnefoy kneeling down to let Rosie smell his hand. The fact that she was out of the bedroom only betrayed how much she loved Arthur, or so he would like to think. Because Rosie, the great Beast that she was, was letting Bonnefoy lightly pet her back before growing bored and jumping up to her observation tower. 

“How did you do that?” Arthur asked, tone just shy of accusing Bonnefoy of witchcraft. The only people Queen Rosaline let touch her nowadays were himself, Aileen, and Sean. She didn’t even let her former owner touch her. She didn’t usually come outside of his room when others visited unless to make sure he wasn’t… having a spell or a row. 

She could be a great guardian when she designed to be. 

“Does she not like other people?” 

_ Obviously _ , Arthur thought standing up and frowning at the man who was now looking at him thoughtfully. It made the hairs on the small of Arthur’s neck stand up. He needed his peace back. 

Bonnefoy rubbed his hairy chin, and said, “I have a cat of my own, maybe she got curious about my smell? Wanted to check out the visitor? But I must ask if you’re alright now? You seemed a bit…”

“I’m fine.” An old lie but Arthur pressed on briskly. “I guess I must gear up to save my garden. Thank you for the warning, Mr. Bonnefoy.”  

“Oh, you’re welcome. I must admit that gardening is a new hobby of mines and this situation is stressful! How I’d hate for your hard work to be destroyed due to my actions!”

Sensing more theatrics, Arthur shifted over to the front door, opening it as he said, “I have been warned and will be out to save what I can shortly. You should go save what you can as well, Mr. Bonnefoy.” 

“What will you do, Mr. Kirkland? I hope you take mind of my roses, I would hate for them to be damaged by hard chemicals!” 

Arthur scoffed. When Aileen had recommended gardening for relaxation he had thoroughly researched it. “Hopefully it won’t come to that. Plain soap and water should sort out matters quickly.” 

The opened door continued to be ignored as Bonnefoy did not move from his spot in front of the television. What else did the man want? He had delivered his message and additionally attracted Rosie’s attention. It was past time for him to leave before he did anything else. 

“Soap and water? Can that really fix this problem?” 

Arthur sighed and shut the door. If the man was really a beginner it wouldn’t hurt to teach him a few tricks. “Here, I’ll show you what I mean.” 

* * *

 

“That was so nice of you, Arthur!”  Aileen seemed pleased that he had been ‘nice’ to his irksome neighbor after the weeks of telephoned complaints. It was a bit heavy praise for such a small act but Arthur let it wash over him for a moment. It was rare since he’d left his former job that he got praise for the little things. 

The visiting twins had taken over his favorite sofa and even the floor in front of it, so Arthur was forced into the stiff armchair as he served their tea. Queen Rosaline permitted Aileen’s face against her side as she was too busy swatting the feather teaser Sean was swaying from side to side.

“Bonnefoy was determined to linger and so I had no choice.” Arthur finally said as he settled Sean’s cup on the floor and Aileen’s cup on the table. Aileen had her feet on the couch until Arthur’s pointed stare encouraged her to lower them.

“How is your garden doing? Can we see it?” Aileen shifted away from Rosie, who hopped down to settle on Sean’s lap, arching up to attack the teaser.

“Speak for yourself,” Sean said, shifting his teacup away from the lapful of cat. “I’ve no interest in seeing such sad vegetables. I’m sure it’ll give me depression.” 

“You haven’t even seen them! I’ve done well for a novice, mind you!”

“So let’s see them!” Aileen sprung up, and was out the back door before discussion could be had.

“Where does she get all that energy?” Arthur muttered as he got up to gather his shoes. 

“Best you go with her,” Sean glanced over at him, a distraction that had Rosie’s boxing his chin. Arthur bit back a  _ no duh  _ as Sean continued, voice light, laughter clear, as he said, “Especially before she climbs the fence to meet your neighbor.” 

Appalled at the very idea, Arthur gave up on finding his shoes and went to the kitchen. Aileen had left the door ajar and when he stepped out in the afternoon light, she was leaning against the fence, chatting with Bonnefoy. 

Arthur massaged the bridge of his nose. His sister was friendly, yes, but also scheming as evident from Sean’s warning. If the years had taught him nothing else, a scheming Aileen often resulted in his nerves stretched thin. 

Or as their father said, Aileen was the beat of his heart and why his beard was silver. 

When she spotted him and and waved, Arthur knew if he had one, his beard would be silver as well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out [ my site ](https://keiimos.com/) and my remade [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/keiimos) for more updates. 
> 
> This is my relaxation fic so updates will happen...randomly. 
> 
> Thanks guys. 
> 
> -SK

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos feed my ego~
> 
> Thanks.


End file.
